Jatropha downs 5 kids in Batangas - report

MANILA, Philippines - Five children were rushed to the hospital after eating jatropha or tuba-tuba fruit in Batangas province. A radio report said Monday morning that the incident happened in Barangay (village) Dominador West in Alitagtag town among five children, whose ages ranged between two and eight years old. The five were initially identified as siblings Leandro, Valentin, and Joana; as well as Nina Malaluan and Rea Ruiz. Village captain Florencio Villanueva was quoted in the report as saying that the children were playing before the food poisoning happened. Authorities said an 18-year-old teenager approached the playing children and prodded them to consume the fruit, saying it only tastes like peanut. The children experienced nausea and vomiting after eating the fruit. They were rushed to the Batangas Regional Hospital in Batangas City and were all declared in safe condition. Oil extracted from the seed of the jatropha plant can be used to produce biofuel and soap. The plant's leaves are also used to fumigate households and expel bugs. Alitagtag is a fifth class municipality in Batangas province, with a population of 20,192 people living in 3,708 households. The town lies south of the Taal volcano. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV